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Leftover Turkey Bone Broth Soup

Turkey Bone Broth Soup

Every year when the turkey carcass is picked clean and the leftovers have been put away, I look at the pile of bones and think, “I should make a stock from that.” By that point in the day, however, the thought of embarking on yet another culinary undertaking always seems like too much. This year, I was prepared—I had a plan and a slow cooker.

When I roast my turkey, I always throw a mix of veggies in the bottom of the pan with about 1/3 of a bottle of wine and some herbs. It makes a delicious gravy base, and this year it served double-duty. My mix this year was celery, carrots, shallots, mushrooms, and a few whole cloves of garlic. After the turkey had roasted and the gravy had been evacuated they were still reasonably intact. I threw about a third into the bottom of the crock pot, and put the rest in the fridge for later. I put the carcass in the crock and added about a quart of water, clamped the lid on, and set it on low. I let it simmer for 24 hours, and then removed the bones and bits as best I could. The amount of meat that came off what appeared to be a pretty clean carcass was pretty shocking, but the hard part was separating out the then soft bones and connective tissue from the meaty bits. Careful work with the slotted spoon eventually prevailed, and I transferred the remaining broth and meat to a stock pot on the stove. I strained out the veggies that had been simmering overnight and added the ones I had reserved from the roasting pan. I threw in some of the leftover turkey, as well as fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage, along with salt, pepper, and a little cayenne for kick. An hour later, I had some fantastic soup on my hands. I ended up with about a quart and a half, which isn’t a bad yield for something made entirely of the bits I would normally have thrown out. I also have big plans the next time I roast a chicken…